Aftermath
by Flyawayfreedom
Summary: Life has always been a standstill to 18 year old Saga Masamune rather than a series of passing motion, until the year he meet Oda Ritsu and fell in love.
1. Intro

Hey everyone !

I've been playing with this idea for a while, among some other stories for SiH. Somehow i just decided to create a page for it today first.

Aftermath will be Takano centric set in his uni days after Ritsu left. Yokozawa, will of course be the second lead here. Some own characters of mine will also show up as part of the uni students they met in their time there. And of course, it will be very angsty with alot of heartbreak. In plot sense and themes, it has the same as **Fall** by **Don't Preach**. It's an amazing series by the way, but I am by no means attempting to copy or plagiarize it. I just wonder why no one else has explored Takano's uni days :/ It's a goldmine waiting to be explored.

I don't plan to update it anytime soon so just watch this space first !


	2. Before

The hours went by slowly, sometimes crawling. Sometimes, it went in a blur.

Saga Masamune glanced at the window on his left, at the stream of sunlight entering the classroom. He was in his third year of high school, and term had just started.

Nothing has changed.

Sure, the teachers have switched, the texbooks heavier and a different set of classmates; but life remains a dull monotonous exercise for him. Everyday it was the same – going to school, going through classes, staying in the library and finally he going home where he avoids what should be family – repeat.

The days went by slowly.

Turning his eyes back to the teacher, Saga absentmindedly sighed.

''Is there something wrong Saga Kun ?'' asked Aobe Sensei loudly, staring at him.

''Nothing,'' replied Takano , slouching passively back into his seat. Satisfied, Aobe sensei went back to his teaching, droning on like a robot. While his sensei's voice faded into the background, Saga kun draw a question mark on the top corner of his book.

They had just received a briefing on their final year exam in high school, and the possibilities of what comes after that. University, majors, results, jobs…

'' _If you haven't had a clue on what you want to do as a career, it's time you start thinking about it,''_ advised his homeroom teacher on their first day of school. Her students are running the last lap now.

'' _In the late half of the year, the universities will be having their Open Houses, do visit them to see what interest you.''_

What does he want to do ?

While the stduent does have a tiny inkling of what interest him, Saga Kun still has no answer to that. Thinking about the question, he twirled his pen.

 _I'll probably slave away in the cubicle office, like everyone else in the country._

He just wanted to get the day over with.

* * *

There was one thing he liked.

Leisurely, Takano strolled to the school library, his school bag in hand.

Walking into the library, all thoughts quietened as he headed to his usual spot by the window. After dropping his bag , Saga headed for one of the shelves. He might have – or might not have known it, that just standing at the shelves behind him, a freshman was staring at him, hiding behind the rows of books.

Saga browsed the shelves, finally settling on a novel where a pirate and a lost princess were on a perilous adventure together to dethrone the queen.

 _Oh, its him again._

Returning back to his seat, Saga caught a glimpse of the junior, who he identified now as his little stalker.

 _He sure has a lot of time._

Flipping the book open, Saga took no further notice of the brunette who seemed to be there everyday as well.

Onodera Ritsu stood far away, just enough to appear unassuming.

* * *

Home was more a house.

A place to eat, sleep and shower.

There was no warmth to it.

Unlocking the door, Takano comes home to a near empty place; all but a dim light was on – and a small kitten greeting him home.

''I'm home,'' said Takano, as he picked up Sorata to speak to him. His cat greeted him sweetly.

'' _Meow''_

Saga carried the kitten with him, moving up the stairs and dropped his bag in his room. The student filled up the pet bowl, feeding his recently adopted pet.

While Sorata ate, the teenager changed out of his uniform and settled down quietly beside it and started stroking her.

School, home, study.

There was all there is to it.

Oh, and the arguments his parents have.

Reading was a way to escape from the situation he was stuck with – the constant arguments and fights that cut him in.

''How did things become like this ?'' Saga wondered, trying to pinpoint how it all started. It was gradual, some disagreements over little things , and then it seemed to have happened all at once – the shouts and unhappiness – the neglect that came along with it.

In his memories, Saga did have snippets of it – the time when both his parents acted like parents, when they cared for him. But as soon as the arguments started, they both seem to have forgotten him.

''It doesn't matter,'' Saga told himself, petting his cat. Soon his will go to university and move out. Soon he doesn't have to put up with things anymore.

Hungrily, Sorata ate on, and Saga Masamune has his peace.

For now.

.

.

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* * *

 **Hi, I'm back from the dead with this little piece. I started this fic long long ago and FINALLY I am writing it. It's been on the back of my mind all these time. An AU where Onodera had stayed instead. This is a warm up exercise because oh man, it's been ages since I wrote anything this long. Thanks for staying and please, don't hate on this shitty starting. This is to show the life Saga had before Ritsu, which really just seem to be a torture. Let the angst begin !  
**


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